YOG Update: Day 1

The US Team arrived safely in Lima, Peru to participate in the 2010 Youth Continental Championships Qualification. Four boys (Brendan Lum, Charlie Yang, Yau Hwa Chan, Zenas Lam) and two girls (Cee Ketpura, Isabel Zhong) comprised the team along with Head Coach Cai Zi Min and assistant coaches Radu Milevschi and Zhou Lei. The top two boys and girls will be chosen to participate in the Youth Olympics in Singapore later this year.

Most of the team arrived a little after midnight and took an hour to get through Peru immigration and customs. After some confusion, the team finally arrived at the hotel exhausted at 4:30am. The team was fast asleep by 5:00am! After the quick "nap", the team had breakfast and was soon on their way to a noon time practice at the Regatas Club. The coaches were quick to take full advantage of the allocated court time (two hours) and utilized every minute before leaving back to the hotel. Although the gym was hot and humid, the ceiling height and flooring was outstanding.

The team enjoyed a late lunch at a food court three blocks from the hotel. The food court had spectacular views of the beach and was surrounded by many different shops.

At 7:00pm, the team participated in the opening ceremony held in a beautiful nearby park. Our Peruvian hosts were gracious and quick to apologize for the earlier hotel mix-up. The team watched traditional Peruvian dancing as part of the entertainment in between the speeches given by the local badminton executives and local politicians. This was followed by some complementary light snacks and drinks at the park. Coach Cai held a team meeting before we all returned to the hotel.